Category: World

Wall Street posted a powerful advance during the latest trading session, adding an estimated $700 billion to the combined value of listed companies as investors pushed major indices higher on a mix of easing inflation signals, resilient corporate earnings and renewed appetite for growth shares. The move underscored the scale at which US equity markets can reprice within hours when sentiment aligns across sectors.The benchmark S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite both closed firmly in positive territory, while the Dow

Pressure is building on academic institutions across the United Kingdom to reassess their presence on X, as concerns over platform governance, content moderation and reputational risk sharpen following a series of controversies linked to the social media network owned by Elon Musk. Data tracking institutional behaviour suggests higher education may be nearing a decisive shift, with more universities poised to disengage than remain active.Debate over academic engagement with X has intensified after disclosures about misuse of the platform’s generative artificial

France has moved to convene a meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers this week as tensions escalate with the United States over proposed tariffs linked to a high-profile dispute about Greenland. Paris is spearheading coordinated Western efforts to address what it and other European capitals describe as coercive trade threats from Washington, and to explore collective avenues for diplomatic and economic response amidst deepening strain in transatlantic relations.France’s Finance Minister Roland Lescure announced on Monday that he has

New York Stock Exchange plans to introduce continuous, 24-hour trading for United States equities through a newly designed on-chain, tokenised exchange, marking a structural shift in how shares could be issued, traded and settled across time zones. The proposal, disclosed by people familiar with the exchange’s roadmap and echoed in public briefings around digital market infrastructure, would extend trading beyond traditional hours while keeping securities within a regulated framework.Under the plan, the exchange operator would create tokenised representations of listed

China’s annual number of births has fallen to its lowest level since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, deepening demographic pressures on the world’s second-largest economy and intensifying debate over the limits of policy intervention to reverse long-term population decline.Official demographic data show that just over nine million babies were born nationwide during the last full calendar year reported, extending a downward trend that has persisted despite the removal of birth caps and the introduction of incentives aimed

President Donald Trump has moved to reshape how the United States pays for the explosive growth in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, backing a plan to use 2026 capacity auctions in the PJM Interconnection to force large technology companies to shoulder a greater share of grid expansion costs. The proposal, framed as a way to protect households and small businesses from higher power bills, places AI data centres at the centre of an intensifying debate over energy pricing, infrastructure

Allegations of labour exploitation have emerged at factories in China producing Labubu figurines, a globally popular designer toy line, prompting scrutiny of working conditions within a supply chain tied to one of the country’s fastest-growing collectibles businesses.Workers interviewed by labour rights groups and regional media describe shifts stretching well beyond legal limits, pay that barely meets local minimum standards, and employment practices that rely heavily on temporary and migrant labour. The accounts centre on manufacturing sites in southern China that

A $10 million federal award has been allocated to the University of Washington to expand advanced computing capacity and strengthen interdisciplinary research tied to artificial intelligence, marking one of the largest public investments in AI infrastructure at a single US campus this year. University leaders said the funding is designed to modernise core systems, widen access for researchers across disciplines and reinforce ethical frameworks as AI tools become more deeply embedded in science, health and climate research.The grant will be

Copper prices slid in late morning trade on Tuesday as investors locked in profits after a strong run and renewed scrutiny fell on consumption prospects in China, the world’s largest user of the industrial metal. The pullback left the market near its lowest point in a week, underscoring how quickly sentiment can turn when demand signals soften.Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down more than 1% by mid-session in Europe, reversing part of the gains built earlier

Global investors are being urged to rethink long-held assumptions about United States stock market dominance after Goldman Sachs projected that emerging market equities and select European stocks are positioned to deliver stronger returns over the next five years. The investment bank’s outlook points to a combination of lower valuations, stronger economic growth prospects and a gradual narrowing of the earnings gap with the US, challenging strategies that have been heavily concentrated in large-cap American technology shares.Goldman Sachs expects US equities

Average petrol prices across the United States have dropped to about $2.79 a gallon, marking the lowest national level in roughly five years and delivering tangible relief to households after a prolonged period of volatility at the pump. Data compiled from nationwide fuel surveys show the decline has been broad-based, with most states reporting steady week-on-week falls as winter demand ebbs and supply conditions improve.The slide in prices reflects a confluence of factors rather than a single policy shift or

African carriers outperformed global peers as air travel demand climbed to a November peak, underscoring a broad-based recovery in cross-border movement and a steady recalibration of airline capacity. International travel drove the expansion, with revenue passenger kilometres rising 7.7% year on year, while total international capacity increased 7.1%, lifting the load factor to 84.0%, the highest recorded for the month.The data point to a market where airlines have largely matched supply with demand, avoiding the overcapacity that has dogged earlier

Walmart plans to scale its drone delivery programme with Alphabet-owned Wing, aiming to serve about 40 million people across the United States by 2027 as it pushes automated logistics deeper into everyday retail. The expansion is designed to shorten delivery times for small items to under 30 minutes and sharpen competition with Amazon in fast fulfilment.The retailer intends to add drone operations to roughly 150 additional stores by 2026 and more than 270 by 2027, building on pilots already running

Federal regulators have approved a major expansion of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, clearing the company to deploy up to 7,500 additional second-generation spacecraft and lifting the authorised constellation to about 15,000 satellites, a decision that deepens the company’s lead in the fast-growing satellite broadband market while tightening safeguards around orbital congestion and interference.The Federal Communications Commission’s order allows SpaceX to activate the first tranche of its Gen2 system in low-Earth orbit, a step the agency said would advance high-speed internet

Indonesia has moved to block access to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, marking one of the first national-level actions taken specifically against a generative AI system over deepfake and synthetic sexual content risks. The decision places Southeast Asia’s largest economy at the centre of a growing global debate over how far governments should go in regulating AI tools that blur the line between expression and abuse.Officials cited concerns that Grok could be used to generate or amplify

African policymakers and market operators are accelerating efforts to deepen trade within the continent by leaning on digital payment systems that promise faster settlements, lower costs and broader access for businesses of all sizes. The push comes as governments and private players seek to convert the African Continental Free Trade Area from a legal framework into a functioning commercial ecosystem that moves goods, services and capital more efficiently across borders.At the centre of this shift is the growing use of

False social media posts masquerading as official council announcements have highlighted how generative artificial intelligence can be weaponised to mislead voters, placing new strain on public trust as political campaigning intensifies across the United Kingdom. The fabricated messages, which mimicked the tone, branding and urgency of genuine local authority notices, circulated widely before being taken down, prompting concern among regulators, councils and election specialists.Several of the posts claimed changes to polling arrangements, emergency local measures or altered eligibility rules, using

President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of a planned second wave of military attacks on Venezuela, pointing to improved cooperation from the country’s interim leadership and gestures such as the release of political prisoners and discussions on oil infrastructure. The decision marks a shift in the U. S. approach after its forces ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, and underscores Washington’s focus on stabilising relations and leveraging Venezuela’s energy resources.Trump made the announcement via social media and